Display printing machine



Aug. 31, 1943. R. s. REID 2,323,097

DISPLAY PRINTING MACHINE I Original Fglled April 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet1 O G C) O (D 0 grwm vbofl Mow,

Aug. 31, 1943. R. s. REID DISPLAY PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M N N P Q \R M Aug. 31, 1943. R. s. REID2,328,097

DISPLAY PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 25Aug. 31, 1943. R. s. REID DISPLAY PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 4% M,M,MQ )ALW Aug. 31, 1943-. R. s. REIDDISPLAY PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Aug. 31, 1943 zazam msmr ranwrnvo monma Roswell 8. Reid,deceased, late of Morgantown,

W. Va., by Ellie Roberts Reid, executrix, Morgantown, W. Va., asslgnorto West Virginia Newspaper Publishing Company, Morgantown. W. Va, acorporation of West Virginia Original application April 29, 1938, SerialNo. 205,088. Divided and this application December 30, 1941, Serial No.425,005

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to printing machines and more particularlyto a printing machine which is designed and constructed in such manneras to have the capacity to print, upon a web of paper, words and linescomprising assembled letters of relatively large size, varying forinstance from 18 point letters to 60 point letters. Primarily themachine is intended to comprise one of several units by means of whichnewspapers, magazines, books, periodicals, advertising folders and thelike, may be printed without the necessity of casting or setting type.

The present application is a division of the copending applicationSerial No. 205,088, filed April 29, 1938, which has now matured as U. S.Patent No. 2,290,383, granted July 21, 1942.

As is well-known, the individual letters of a font of printers type varyin width and in the completed printed line the letters are equidistantlyspaced from each other. On the other hand the usual typewriter embodiestype faces of ,uniform width so that the appearance of a completedtypewritten line is substantially different from the appearance of acompleted printed line. It has heretofore been proposed, however, thatby the addition of a variable spacing mechanism to a typewriter, andproviding the typewriter with type the faces of which differ in width asdo the printers type, the product of the typewriter may be caused toresemble very I closely the product of a printing operation. It has,however, not been found heretofore to be possible to modify the usualtypewriter by the addition of variable spacing mechanism to produce theeffect of printed lines where very large type faces are to be employed.

The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a novelvariable spacing device in a printing machine, generally analogous tothe variable spacing typewriter, by means of which printed lines andwords the individual letters of which are of large size, may be rapidlyand conveniently produced, the individual letters of the words beingspaced apart as though actually printed with printer's type so that thecompleted product is indistinguishable from the product of the printingpress. The novel machine includes a paper carriage in which the paper tobe printed is guided for movement in a predetermined plane, a movabletype carrying member which is so designed and so mounted that anydesired letter may be brought into printing position with respect to thepaper, and upon one side of the paper, and a printing head upon theopposite side of the paper which serves, when actuated, to

press the paper against the previously inked letter and to be thereafterretracted to enable the paper to draw away from the type.

The actual printing operation is performed in a novel manner, theprinting head being of such character as to be movable in a planeparallel to the plane of the paper during printing operation, the actualpaper engaging surface of the printing head rolling over one surface ofthe paper to insure perfect contact of the area of the surface to beprinted with all areas of the ink carrying type and as a result of thismore perfected printing of large characters than has heretofore beenpossible is realized.

The apparatus is motor driven and key controlled, the depression of akey effecting the connection of the printing mechanism to a constantlyrunning. motor whereby the printing mechanism is moved through onecomplete cycle of operations, the connection to the constantly runningmotor being automatically broken at the completion of such cycle ofoperations. The variable spacing mechanism embodied in the machine whichexemplifies the present invention includes many novel features ofconstruction which will be hereinafter described in detail. These novelarrangements include means for synchronizing the variable spacingelements with the printing, type selecting, and restoring mechanisms,certain brakes or holding devices and other novel elements which includethe serrated or notched rotary wheel which serves to gauge the movementof the control elements of the variable spacing mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, but it will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that numerous variations in the details of the elements andsubcombinations of elements may be effected in adapting the inventionfor special purposes and that that form thereof which is illustrated,and which is to be hereinafter described, is set forth by way of exampleonly.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, the housing having been removed;

Figure 2 is a side view of the machine partially in elevation andpartially in section;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on lines 4-4 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a view of part of the mechanism shown in Figure 5, on asomewhat larger scale, showing a portion of the spacing mechanism;

Figure '1 is a partial section on line 1--1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an elevation of portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 6,as seen from the line 8-8 of that figure;

Figure 9'is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 2;

Figures 10 and 11 are details of portions of the disc locking mechanism;

Figure 12 is a sectional view through portions of the carriage and itsslide controlling members;

Figure 13 is a horizontal section showing the carriage pinions and theirkey connection shift;

Figure 14 is an elevation of a portion of the type disc and the shieldtherefor;

Figure 15 shows in side elevation an operating key and the key lockingmechanism; and

Figure 16 is a detail of the spacing disc shifting cam.

The several portions of the machine of this invention are supported on aframe 30 the details of which are not important and need not bedescribed. A motor 3| is connected through suitable gear such as areshown at 32 to a drive shaft 33 which is rotatably supported by theframe 30. A single revolution clutch 34, of a well-known type, connectsthe shaft 33 with the shaft 35 so that when the motor 3| is incontinuous operation the clutch 34 may be operated to impart onerevolution to the shaft 35. This will cause the machine as a whole tocomplete one cycle, that is, print one character of type and return to anormal position in readiness for another cycle of operation to printanother character.

A suitably constructed typewriter keyboard 36 bearing any desired numberof keys 31 is molun ed at the front of the machine for easy manualoperation. Each of the keys 31 is pivotally con- 'nected to a bell cranklever 38 which is pivotally mountedon the frame 30 and which is normallyheld in the position shown by a tension spring 38'. Each of the bellcrank levers 38 is pivotally secured to one end of a rod 39", the otherend of which is pivotally secured to one arm of an associated bell cranklever 39, levers 39 being pivotally attached to the frame 30 as at 40.The other arm of each lever 39 is pivotally connected to a vertical link4| which, through another lever -or bell crank 42, pivotally secured asat 43 to a compression spring I31 to close the clutch 34 permitting thecontinuously running motor 3| to drive the main shaft 35. The shaft 35is thereby turned through 360 degrees being there stopped by the actionof the trigger I29 on the cam I28 to again throw the clutch 34 out ofengagement. A compression spring I32, mounted between the crossbar I32and any stationary part of the machine, urges this bar I32 and the leversystem connected thereto back to the normal position when displacedtherefrom.

In order that a depressed key (see Figure 15) may remain depressed longenough and yet not too long, another boss 39' on the lever 39 andanother crossbar 39I are provided for holding the key which is depressedfor a definite length of time. This is accomplished by mechanism, whichwill be described later, for raising the bar 39| to the position shownin solid lines in Figure 15 as soon as the boss 39' has crossed to therear of said bar 39I. The raising of the bar 39| also serves to preventa second key from being depressed during the following interval.

The stationary disc 44 bears, on the upper 180 degrees of its periphery,a plurality of keyways 46 in which the blocks are slidably mounted,there being one block for each of the keys 31 of the keyboard. Theseblocks 45 are so arranged that, when they are all in position, they forma continuous half-cylindrical surface which approximates a smoothsurface.

On an axis passing through the center of curvature of the substantiallycontinuous surface formed by the blocks 45 there is rotatably mounted aselection pawl arm 41 and a selection cog wheel 48. The selection pawlarm 41 is fixed to a shaft 50, while the selection cog wheel 48 isrotatably mounted on the same shaft. The selection pawl arm 41 isrotated, when the shaft 35 is lever-system a definite block 45 is movedout,

- I29 which is pivoted to-the frame 30 at I30. Each of the levers 39carries a boss |3|,.any one of which when moved by the depression of anykey 31 moves a crossbar I32 which, through a lever I33, pivoted to theframe 30, a link I34, a bell crank I35, pivoted to the frame 30, and avertical link I36 moves the trigger I29 out of engagement with the searI21. This permits a rotated, at the beginning of. a cycle, for the firstone-third of the cycle, by means of a gear train consisting of a 120degree segment gear 5| engaging gear 52 which through a shaft 53 rotatesa gear 54 which engages a pinion 55 which is secured to the shaft 50upon which said arm 41 is mounted. This gear ratio is such that 120degrees of revolution of the gear 5| turns the pawl arm 41 through 180degrees.

When any one key is depressed, since one of the blocks 45 is moved, anopening isv left in the formerly smooth surface, all as clearlydescribed in the parent application Serial No." 205,088. A pawl 51 ismounted on each end of .the pawl arm 41 so that one of the pawls 51wipes the surface formed by the blocks 45 and will fall through anyopening, if such an opening exists by virtue of the withdrawal of ablock 45, when the pawl arm 41 is being rotated. This movement of thepawl 51 permits a dog 59, mounted opposite thereto. to engage theselection cog wheel 48. Afterthis engagement the pawl arm 41, throughdog 58 drives the cog wheel 48 through the remaining portion of the 180degree angle which the pawl arm 41 rotates during .the first one-thirdof each cycle. The cog wheel 40, which is rotatably mounted with respectto I the shaft 50, has a gear 59 coaxially mounted and secured theretoby means of a bolt 60. A'pinion 6| engages the'gear 59 and through ashaft 92 borne by the frame 30 a type disc is rotated.-

The selection cog 48 is geared: to the type disc in a 2:1 ratio, so thatwhen the selector arm 41 is turning through an angle the type disc isturning through the angle 2 to bring the charactor of the key which wasdepressed into the printing position, One or more fonts of characters63' maybe mounted in concentric circles on the type disc face. One fontforms one circle and any character thereof may be brought into a givenposition by the energy supplied through the pawl arm 4'! as previouslydescribed, the possibility of a complete revolution of the type disc OIdepending only upon which of the blocks ll is moved. It will be seenthat by pressing one of the keys 31 a certain and dependent angle ofrevolution for the type disc I! has been selected which brings thewanted character into a desired position-the printing position. This hasbeen accomplished in 120 degrees of rotation of'the main shaft 35.

Upon the completion of the previously described first one-third of acycle the printing mechanism begins to operate, the printing operationbeing completed within the second one-third of the cycle. A second 120degree segment bevel gear 84 secured to the shaft 35 supplies the energyfor this portion of the cycle. The gear BI is secured to the lower endof a vertical shaft 66 which is supported by the frame of the machineand carries on its upper portion a plurality of identical cams 61, 88and 8!. The gear ratio between the segment gear 64 and the bevel gear 65is 3:1, thus causing the cams i1, 88 and 80 to make a completerevolution during the second one-third of a cycle. At the elevations ofsaid three cams 61, 68 and 88, slide bars I0, II and I2 are mounted forboth a forward and a rearward sliding motion and for rotation about avertical axis I4 passing therethmugh. A hollow guide member such as I3is provided for each of the slide bars which pass therethrough, theseslide bars being longitudinally slidable with respect thereto. Each ofthe hollow guide member I3 is pivoted on the vertical axis I4 permittingthe slide bars 10, 'II and I2 to be moved in their respective horizontalplanes. A roller I5 is mounted on the rear end of each of the slide barsIII, 'II and I2, each of the rollers I5 contacting the respective cams81, 68 and 89. The forward ends of the slide bars III, II and I2 eachhave a printing head I6, TI and I8 respectively, pivotally mountedthereon which may be faced with any desirable cushioning material I9.Small tension springs 80 connect the forward portions of each of theprinting heads I8, 11 and I8 with the respective slide bars 10, II andI2 giving the printing heads an urge to return to the normal positionwhen not being moved and at the same time providing a paracentric actionso that any of the printing heads which are not in use during a givencycle may be held out of the way. The shaft 66 has a chain gear BIsecured thereto which by means of a chain 82, a chain gear l3, and avertical shaft GI borne by the frame 30 of the machine drives the cams85 at a one-toone ratio with the cam 61. The several cams 8! areproportioned to the width of the widest character of the font which isprinted by the respective printing heads I8, 1'! and II. The cam 81first furnishes forward motion to the printing head I6 and holds itforward for a, time during which the cam 05, through a roller 86supported by the guide members II, imparts a lateral component to theprinting heads I8, 11 and It and their supporting members, causing theprinting head which is in use to roll across the face of a character onthe disc 53. This lateral motion is opposed by a compression spring 01,secured to the machine frame, which serves ever one of the others is inuse, will be forced against paper 09 with a forward motion derived fromthe cam l1 and then a rolling motion derived from the cam 85, pressingthe paper 80 against the character on the printing disc 08 which wasplaced in the printing position in the first one-third of the cycle.

- It is now necessary to space the copy by the width of the characterjust printed, possibly to index the copy for the nextline of print, andto return all moving parts to such positions, as are necessary to be inreadiness for another cycle. This spacing and repositioning isaccomplished during the last one-third of the cycle.

A cam 90, see Figures 2 and 9, secured to the main shaft 35 near itsforward end, revolving 360 degrees per cycle of the machine, is soshaped as to push a slide bar 8| downwardly at the beginning of theprinting operation, 1. e., the second third of the cycle, and to releaseit at the completion of this operation. A lever 02, pivoted to the frame30 as at 93, see Figure 10, is pivotally connected at one end to thelower end of the slide bar II and has its other end bifurcated and incontact with the underside of a flange on a vertically movable rod 84,so shaped as to clamp the printing disc 63 when moved upwardly. Acompression spring 85 mounted between the frame 30 and the lower end ofthe rod 84 urges this rod 94 out of contact with the printing disc 83and keeps the slide bar 9| in contact with the cam 90. This clampingaction on the printing disc 63 obviates any danger of the characterbeing inadvertently moved during the printing operation. A second humpon the cam 90 also causes the disc to be locked during the stop betweencycles.

Immediately in front of the disc clamping cam 90 a cam IE5 is secured tothe shaft 36. The purpose of this is to raise the pawl 51 back to thesurface of the blocks 45 at the beginning of the printing third of thecycle of the machine and to disengage it from the selection cog wheel 48a so that it will arrive at the other side of the machine correctlypositioned for operation in the next cycle. This is accomplished bymeans of a slide bar I56 which rides on the surface of the cam III andwhich through an arm I51, a shaft I58, rotatably mounted in the frame30, and a second arm I59 slides a plunger I from a retracted positionwhere it picks up the pawl 51 at the end of the first third of a cycleto the position shown in Figure 3. The cam I5! is so shaped that theplunger I60 is retracted Just after the beginning of a cyclewhen thepawl 51 has moved beyond the surface of this plunger I60, thus remainingin readiness to receive the next used pawl 51 during the selecting orfirst one-third of the cycle.

The shaft I58 has another lever I82 secured thereto which is connectedwith the crossbar MI in such a manner that, when the cam I55 retractsthe plunger l" as described above, the bar I is raised so as to hold theboss 39' which has been moved by a depressed key. It is so held untilthe end of the first one-third of the cycle.

A third degree segment gear 99 is secured to the main shaft 35 whichduring a variable portion of the final third of the cycle, 1. e., the

, the following description.

4 repositioning operation, engages another 120 degree segment gear Iwhich is secured on the rearward end of a repositioning shaft IOIrotat'- ably mounted in the frame 80 of the machine. The forward end ofthe shaft IOI carries a gear I05 which through a pinion I06, see Figure3,

, turns the gear 59 which, as previously described,

is mounted on the shaft 50 and is in positive connection through bolt 60and the type disc rotating pinion 6I, with both the cog wheel 48 and thecharacter disc 63.

Since the gear 59 is secured to the cog wheel 48 the operation of thesegment gear 99 on the segment gear I00 turns the cog wheel 48 in theopposite direction from its previous movement during the characterselection operation, which movement was through the angle It will beseen that when the cog wheel 48 was first turned through the angle thatthe segment gear I00 was at that time turned a proportionate amount fromits initial position. The gear ratio is such that during the firstone-third of the cycle the segment gear I00 is never turned through agreater angle than the 120 degree segment gear 99 is able to return itduring the last one-third of the cycle.

In order to vary the spacing of the copy in accordance with the variouswidths of the: characters used on the printing disc 63, a spacing disc96 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 91 which is longitudinally slidablymounted in the frame 30. The spacing disc 96 has a notch or slot cut inits periphery for each character of one font of type, such as is shownat 98 in Figure 110, the relative positions of the notches on thespacing disc 96 being the same as that of the characters on the printingdisc 63 and their depths. being proportional to the widths of thevarious characters. A chain gear I02 is secured to the repositioningshaft IM and by means of a chain I08 is connected with a chain gear I04which is secured to the spacing disc 96.

During the first third of the cycle the chain gear I02 and hence thespacing disc 96 are: freely driven by the shaft IOI which is turned bythe cog wheel 48 through the gear 59 and the pinion I06. The gear ratiofrom the type disc 63 to the spacing disc 96 is one-to-one and hence theproper notch 98, having a depth proportional to the width of thecharacter placed in the printing position, is in the same position withrespect to the frame 30 of the machine regardless of which of the keys31 is depressed. At the opening of the end of the lever spacing-releaseII5 in contact with the cam H3. The lever II5 is pivoted,

as at I I9, to the frame 30 of the machine. When thecam II3 permits thelever II5 to move, as

just described, a dog I is disengaged from the ratchet wheel H6. The dogI20 is on one arm of a lever I2I the other arm of which carries the pinI01. The lever I2I is pivoted to a lever I22 which is pivotally mountedon the shaft I23 to which the ratchet wheel H6 is secured. A smalltension spring I24 connected between the frame of the machine and onearm of the lever I22, causes the levers I22 and I2I, upon the release ofthedog I20, to move in the direction for the pin I01 ,to travel into thenotch 98. Each notch 98 is so curved that, when the spacing disc is sooriented that the notch being used is in the proper location, thecenter'of its curvature is at the axis I23. When the pin I01 reaches theend of the notch 98 the lever I2I is thereby out of the plane of the pinI01. The spacing release lever II5 is then returned by means of the camII3 to the position shown in Figure 6, the tooth II4 releasing theratchet wheel II6 which revolves in a clockwise direction due to tensionon a copy carriage I25. This turning of the ratchet wheel H6 isterminated when the lever I22 secured thereto carrying the dog I20 hitsa stop I26 on the frame 30. Thus the carriage is permitted to travel adistance corresponding to the width of the character just printed.

Before the completion of the printing third of the cycle the printinghead 16 is withdrawn from contact with the back of the copy 89 slightlybefore the end of the revolution of the cam 61. This is .to permit thecam II3 to release the ratchet wheel II6 only after the printing hasbeen completed, but before the gear 65 ceases its operation with the endof the second third of thenotch which is in this position there is a pinI01 the function of which will be apparent from A lever I08, pivotallymounted at I09, has one end bearing against a cam IIO which is secured96 is shifted from the position shown by solid lines-in Figures '1 and 8to that shown by broken lines, causing the notch 98 to come into thepath .of the pin.I01.

Immediately following the positioning of the spacing disc 96, a cam H3,mounted beneath the gear 65 on the shaft 66 operates to permit. a toothII4 formed on a spacing release lever II5 to engage a tooth on theperiphery of a; spacing ratchet wheel II6 thereby locking the ratchet Asmall tension I wheel II6 against rotation. spring II1, connectedbetween the lever II5 and the frame of the machine, keeps a roller II8on the-cycle.

The copy carriage comprises a pair of vertical brackets I25 mounted on aplate I38 which is laterally slidably mounted on rollers held in' a wayI39 formed in the frame 30. The underside of the'plate I38 carries aplurality of racks I 40 across its'length. Foreach of the racks I40there is a pinion I4I rotatably mounted on the ratchet wheel shaft I23,each of the pinions I having a keyway I4I'. Two pairsof copy holding andindexing rollers I43 are rotatably mounted between the brackets I25, andare so located that theprinting heads 16, 11 and 18 will operate betweenthem. Knurled handles I44, mounted on the extremities of two of theindexing roller shafts, provide means for moving the copy paper 89 up ordown between the printing heads 16, 11 and 18 and the disc 63.

Guides I45 are provided to care for the ends of the copy 89 whichprotrude from the rollers I43.

'The keyways MI in the pinions I4I, shown in'Figure l2,'are so placedthat they are in alignment when the copycarriage is at the extreme rightposition for the beginning of a line of printing. At this position thekey I42 may be shifted to engagement with any one of the pinions I bymeans of a lever I" which is pivoted to the frame 20 and has abifurcated end which engages a grooved collar I48 which is mounted onthe shaft I23 and is secured to the slidable key rod I48. This permitsthe key I42 to rotsgg with the shaft I23 and yet be shifted at a pointwhere the keyways l4l' are in line. Tlie outer end of the lever I4] isprovided with a handle and the frame 30 is notched as at I41 so that thekey I42 will engage only one of the pinions I at a time.

A slip ratchet IBI of a well-known type is mounted in the shaft I23 sothat the copy carriage may be pushed to the right at any time and yetmay be driven to the left by the shaft I23 with each cycle of themachine.

A carriage spring of the conventional type used on typewriters whichurges the copy carriage to,

the left and the ratchet wheel 6, as shown in Figure 6, to rotateclockwise is shown at I49 in Figure 3. Since the motion of the copycarriage per cycle must be dependent upon the size of the font of typein use, for correct spacing, and since the relative motions of the plateI38 and the ratchet wheel H6 must be so proportioned, the gear ratiosbetween the pinions I 4| and the racks I40 are such as to accommodatethe proportional spacing between the several fonts. The change in thisratio is accomplished by shifting the longitudinal position of the keyI42, to cause the proper one of the pinions Hi to drive the ratchetwheel H6 through the common shaft I23.

Although for purposes of disclosure the three phases of the cycle ofoperation of the present machine have been described as having aduration of one-third of the cycle, and the segment gears 64 and 99 havebeen described as being approximately 120 in angular extent toaccomplish such a division of the cycle, it is obvious that the angularextent of these gears may be varied, if desired, to effect a differentdistribution of the three phases, provided, however, that the third orrestoring phase does not overlap and interfere with the first orselecting phase.

Other changes and modifications may be made in the illustrated anddescribed embodiment without departing from the scope of the inventionas defined in the following claims:

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by LettersPatentis:

1. In a printing machine of the class described, a plurality of type, apaper supporting carriage adapted to present th paper to a printingposition wherein it is impressed by the type, a rotary drive element;type character selecting means, printing means, and restoring means forthe selecting means, all driven by said driving element through a cycleof operation for each character to be printed; and variable spacingmeans for controlling the carriage movement appropriate to the width ofthe type character selected; said variable spacing means comprising arotary member provided with a plurality of slots about its periphery,each slot being of a depth proportional to the width of a given typecharacter, means operatively connecting said driving element and saidrotary member for moving the latter synchronously and proportionately tothe movement of said selecting means, a ratchet wheel operativelyconnected to the carriage to move synchronously therewith, means forurging said ation to move said holding pawl into engagement with thewheel and to simultaneously release said selecting pawl element fromengagement with said wheel, a pin on said selecting pawl element adaptedto enter a slot in said rotary member and trip the selecting pawl toengage the ratchet wheel when the pin strikes the bottom of a slot,-means for then tripping the holding pawl, and fixed stop means forlimiting said last named movement of the selecting pawl and thus saidratchet wheel, whereby said ratchet wheel moves the selected distance tomove the carriage to efiect the proper spacing.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 which further includes meansoperated by said driving means for displacing the slotted rotary memberfrom the plane of said pinwhereby the pin and selecting pawl element mayfreely move along with the ratchet wheel to its final position.

3. A typewriter comprising the combination with a carriage, meanstending to advance the carriage, keys, and type of various widths, ofmechanism for releasing the carriage after print ing of a letter andthereafter stopping the same after it has travelled a distancecorresponding to the width of the letter printed, said mechanismincluding a carriage operated escapement ratchet wheel, a pawl normallyengaging the ratchet wheel, means for releasing said pawl, means formoving the pawl, when released, about the periphery of the ratchet, avariable stop means separate from said pawl releasing means for bothlimiting the movement of the pawl when released and causing the pawl tore-engage the ratchet, said variable stop means comprising a rotary discmember provided with a plurality of slots about its periphery, each slotbeing of a depth proportionate to the width of a given type character,said pawl provided with a projection adapted to enter a selected one ofsaid slots and move to the bottom thereof, and key actuated means forautomatically rotating said disc an amount necessary to bring theopening of a slot of a depth corresponding to the width of a characterrepresented by said key, in front of the pawl proj ection.

4. In a printing machine of the class described, a plurality of type, apaper supporting carriage adapted to present the paper to a printingposition wherein it is impressed by the type, a driving element; typecharacter selecting means and printing means, both driven by saiddriving element through a cycle of operation for each character to beprinted; and variable spacing means for controlling the carriagemovement appropriate to the width of the type character selected; saidvariable spacing means including a rotary member provided with aplurality of slots about its periphery, each slot being of a depthproportional to the width of a given type character, means operativelyconnecting said driving element and said rotary member for moving thelatter synchronously and proportionately to the movement of saidselecting means, a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the carriageto move synchronously therewith, means for urging said ratchet wheelcontinually in one direction,

a holding pawl for said ratchet wheel, a select-- ing pawl elementmovable circumierentially of said ratchet wheel and also swingablesubstantially radially thereof to engage a tooth of said wheel in idleposition and to disengage said wheel during spacing operation, meansoperated by said driving element at one point in the cycle of operationto move said holding pawl into engagement with the wheel and tosimultaneously release said selecting pawl element from engagement withsaid wheel, a projection on said selecting pawl element adapted to entera slot in said rotary member and trip the selecting pawl to re-engagetheratchet wheel at a predetermined interval beyond its previous pointof engagement when the projection strikes the bottom of a slot, saidlast-named means adapted to then trip the holding pawl, and meanslimiting the return of the selecting pawl to a final initial point.

5. Ina variable spacing device for a movablecarriag'e, key-actuatedprinting machine of the class described, in combination, a rotarycircular member operatively connected with the car' riage of the machinefor angular movement proportional to the movement of said carriage, agripping device movable angularly concentrically with said member andadapted to engage the latter at selectable points about its periphery togauge the amount of angular movement thereof which corresponds to acharacter selected by a key for printing, a stop device for limiting themovement of said gripper device, said stop device comprising a rotarydisc, said disc being provided with a plurality of slots in itsperiphery adapted to selectively receive a portion of said grippingdevice and limit its movement about the said member, said slots being ofvarious depths proportional to the widths of the characters to beprinted, and means for rotating said disc an amount suflicient topresent the opening of a slot to the gripping member corresponding tothe character represented by the actuated key.

6. In a variable spacing device for a movablecarriage, key-actuated,printing machine of the class described, in combination, a rotarycircular member operatively connected with the carriage of the machinefor angular movement proportional to the movement of said carriage, a

gripping device movable angularly concentrical- 1y with said member andadapted to engage the latter at selectable points about its periphery togauge the amount of angular movement thereof which corresponds to acharacter selected by a key for printing, a stop device for limiting themovement of said gripper device, said stop device comprising a discrotatable about a center spaced from the center of rotation of saidmember and vice when presented in operative position with respect to thelatter. I

7. In a variable spacing device for a movable of the machine for angularmovement proportional to the movement of said carriage, a grippingdevice movable angularly concentrically with said member and adapted toengage the latter at selectable points about its periphery to gauge theamount of angular movement thereof which corresponds to a characterselected by a key for printing, a stop device for limiting the movementof said gripper device, said stop device comprising a rotary disc, saiddisc being provided with a plurality of slots in its periphery adaptedto selectively receive a portion of said gripping device and limit itsmovement about the said member, said slots being of various depthsproportional to the widths of the characters to be printed, and meansfor rotating said disc an amount suflicient to present the opening of aslot to the gripping member corresponding to the character representedby the actuated key, and means for moving said disc axially to free thegripping device from the engaged slot after the gauged movement thereof.

8. In a variable spacing device for a movablecarriage, key-actuated,printing machine of the class described, which printing machine includesa rotary, key selected, type carrying element, in combination, a rotarycircular member operatively connected with the carriage of the machinefor angular movement proportional to the movement of said carriage, agripping device movable angularly concentrically with said member andadapted to engage the latter at selectable points about its periphery togauge the amount of angular movement thereof which corresponds to acharacter selected by a key for printing, a stop device for limiting themovement of said gripping device, said stop device comprising a disc,said disc being provided with a plurality of slots in its peripheryadapted to selectively receive a portion. of said gripping device andlimit its movement about the said member, said slots being of variousdepths proportional to the widths of the characters to be printed, atrain of transmission gearing operatively disposed between said 7 discand said rotary type carrying element for moving said disc to. presentthe opening of a slot to the gripping member corresponding to thecharacter represented by the actuated key.

9. In a printing machine of the class described, a movablepaper-supporting carriage, a plurality of keys, a character selectingmechanism for moving the type character into printing position,

i a printing mechanism for obtaining an imprescarriage, key-actuated,printing machine of the class described, in combination, a. rotarycircular sion from said type character at said position, and mechanismfor restoring the character selecting mechanism to initial position forsubsequent operation, and power means for actuating said characteractuating mechanism, said printing mechanism, and said restoringmechanism in the named sequence during one cycle of operation initiatedby the depression of a key, means for urging said carriage in one of itsdirections of movement, a variable escapement device for limiting eachmovement of the carriage after an impression to a distance appropriateto the width of the character printed, said escapement. devicecomprising a ratchet wheel operatively connected with said carriage forproportionate movement therewith, a holding pawl for said ratchet wheel,a selectingipawlelement movable circumferentially of said ratchet wheeland also swingable substantially radially thereof to engage a tooth ofsaid wheel in idle position and to disengage said wheel during spacingoperation, means operated by said printing mechanism at the beginning 01its phase of operation to move said holding pawl into engagement withthe wheel and to simultaneously release said selecting pawl element fromengagement with said wheel, a rotary member provided with a plurality ofslots about its periphery, each slot being of a depth proportional tothe width of a given type character, means operatively connecting saidcharacter selecting mechanism and said rotary member for moving thelatter synchronously and proportionately to the movement of saidselecting means during the selecting phase of the cycle, a projection onsaid selecting pawl element adapted to enter a slot in said rotarymember and trip the selecting pawl to engage the ratchet wheel when theprojection strikes the bottom of a slot, means actuated by said printingmeans at the beginning of its phase of operation for presenting saidrotary member to the path of operation of the projection, means operatedby said printing mechanism toward the end 01' its phase of operation,and after said printing impression has been efiected, for tripping theholding pawl, and fixed stop means for limiting said last named movementof the selecting pawl and thus of said ratchet wheel whereby saidratchet wheel moves the selected distance to move the carriage to effectthe proper spacing, means actuated by said printing mechanism for movingsaid rotary member from the path of said projection, and meansconnecting said rotary member to said restoring means for return of saidmember to its initial position.

EFFIE ROBERTS REID,

Executor of the Estate of Roswell 8. Reid, De-

ceased.

